The last time I was this excited over something it was covered in gravy.
Here's your first glimpse of me in my new kitchen.
The October issue of Canadian Living magazine is on stands now! And if it's not where you are in Canada it will be in the next day or two. I know. It's September. Early September at that. But that's the way magazine work and since it gives us all a chance to see my kitchen in print a month earlier than I thought I'm O.K. with it.
And yes. That is my dear little Cuddles sharing the spotlight with me. When Cuddles came close to dying a few weeks ago I thought … I won't even be able to open the magazine. It would be too much to bear. But that little Cuddles made it through her mystery illness and lived to see her magazine debut.
To recap:
In March of 2013 I decided to rip up my horrific kitchen floor and install VCT tiles. Black and white check. While the floor was up, I decided it would be stupid not to install heated floors while I was at it. With such a good lookin' floor I was suddenly embarrassed about my sink. Why had I never noticed the horror that was my sink? I should get a new sink. That one from Ikea with the apron front.
Only the sink didn't fit because my counters weren't deep enough. I could maybe get new counters to accommodate the new sink so as not to embarrass my floors. Floors are very sensitive that way. Everyone knows that.
Cut to a year later, my entire kitchen is ripped out, a new ceiling is going in, cupboards are being hoisted over fences, the fella has left and I'm pooping in a bucket.
WTF?
How did THIS happen?
I'll tell you how it happened. I'm like you, you're like me, we're all nuts. And that's O.K. That's how it goes in this world and the people who aren't nuts are boring.
I lived through a kitchen renovation and even though people told me I was going to forget all about how gross it was once I had my new kitchen I didn't believe them. In fact I pretty much silently cursed those people until I started cursing them out loud. With big, new curse words that only a kitchen renovation can pull out of you. But they were right. I don't remember any of the pain and every time I walk into my kitchen I still gasp and sigh and smile. Then I cook something and leave the dishes to clean up in a week or so.
When I realized this tiny little kitchen update was actually going to turn into a full blown renovation I emailed someone I knew at Canadian Living. Brett Walther was someone who I worked with when a different magazine shot my house a few years ago. I told him what I was doing and asked if he'd be interested in featuring it in the magazine.
He said yes. I said good. He told me I couldn't show my kitchen until it was released in the magazine, I said bad. But agreed, because I could understand his point. Canadian Living wanted the big reveal to be in their magazine. Who could blame them. The only problem was I couldn't take any pictures, or do any posts or videos that revealed my kitchen for a year. A YEAR.
That year is up. I still can't show you my kitchen but I CAN soon because the Canadian Living article is out now.
Andrea
Hate gravy, but am fully prepared to love your new kitchen. And am delighted to hear Cuddles is doing so, so well. You're a wonderful chicken mama!
Leslie Zuroski
Crap, once again I am last in a long list of comments, so why bother? Anyhow, my gravy story is how I learned to appreciate the art of making gravy while I was fool enough to be volunteer chairperson of a huge church festival dinner. We fed 1,800 people in 6 hours & started prepping for it 3 moths in advance. There was one lovely senior lady who came in to make all of the gravy for the dinner. She made a big deal about how 'Leslie, really now, this all I do for the festival, period'. But her gravy was amazing. And in fact days before other church ladies made homemade chicken broth for the gravy by pressure cooking "old hens" with water, salt, pepper, and celery tops. Ah yes, those were the days. The 1990s, when we still made stuff from scratch and didn't think it was unusual.
Karen
Hah! The good 'ole 90's. And don't worry about being later in the comments. EVERYONE reads all the comments! ~ karen
Nancy
Yep, I'm reading it now.
I loved church dinners and the good cooking from all those church ladies, all from scratch!
Marsha Jean
I LOVE gravy, and unfortunately for way too many years(translated into pounds), gravy loved me...mostly my hips and thighs. When our girls were younger and visiting their great-grandmother one summer, I got a panicked call from said grandmother asking me what was wrong with my daughters...they wouldn't eat gravy on the rice she'd prepared for dinner!!! After I calmed granny down with a few compliments on her wonderful cooking, I tried explaining to her that we only have gravy at Thanksgiving(a must have as far as I'm concerned), I don't cook it the rest of the year because we don't need the fat/calories, and the girls don't care for gravy on their rice or potatoes...after grandma calmed down and declared me insane for not insisting they eat gravy on everything, I pointed out that they eat almost any vegetable, salads, and most everything else put on the table...unlike their cousins who lived right across the street from grandma! Point well made...no more worries on that subject. Do you want to hear her reaction when at age 4 one of the girls came out of the bathtub saying something about her "bagina" and we almost had to chase granny's dentures skittering down the hallway?
Lora
I love Gravy but my 40 year old body doesn't. I also love how you look in all your posts esp this dress. I am happy to here Cuddles is ok. Yes I have been stalking you for about a year… LOL I have wanted to comment many times but I am shy even in print, maybe thats why all my animals love me so. Thank you for all your hard work!
Jennifer
Yes, I like gravy. I don't love it. I love coffee and local beer and bacon and truffle mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs with chives and good cheese...
My mom and dad (80 and 79 years 0ld) still cook Sunday dinner for our extended family every Sunday. My dad has made me the official gravy stirrer. He has a special flat whisk for non-stick pans that works great. I usually get there after it's already cooking, so I still don't know how to cook it from scratch.
You and Cuddles do look great! I love the counter-sitting pose. Counter-sitting is highly underrated.
Terri
You and Cuddles are adorable. I love your dress. You look so classy!!!
I HATE gravy. My mom made the lumpiest, bland gravy, growing up. I like my potatoes with garlic and butter. Yum!
Please send me a magazine. It will be the only thing I have ever won in my very long life. Thanks!
Sarah
Of course I like gravy! And of course you and Cuddles look adorable in that fabulous kitchen! I would like to see the rest of the kitchen in that glossy magazine spread, please.
JOAN LOFTON
I really can take it or leave it, gravy that is. The fella I married 63 yrs. ago LOVES GRAVY. I hated to see anyone just whip of gravy when mine was never more than yuck. Well, the old story of practice makes perfect, does prove true. I do NOW make DELICIOUS GRAVY and my fella never strays for lack of gravy. ........
I want to see your kitchen! you did a huge amount of good ole hard work!!!!Hurray for YOU!!!!!!!!
Tracy
Gravy......... brown gravy, white gravy, sausage gravy, thin gravy, thick gravy - love any and all kinds of gravy! Congrats on your kitchen's magazine debut! :)
Judy Okey
Gravy makes everything good, especially white gravy!
Kimberly Miner
I freaking love gravy. Whenever I do a roast of any sort, I always make sure I have some stock to make a gravy. I don't care if it adds eleventy billion calories, I need some gravy on me meats. Oh and by the way, you completely renovating your entire kitchen, especially during a turbulent time in your life, is absolutely inspiring and kick ass.
Becky
I can make a pretty good gravy myself... but, I'm not all that crazy about eating it.... but I good white sauce will make me secretly lick the plate. Does that count?
That's a fantastic dress. But why did they cut off your feet? I can't oooh and aaah over your shoes when they cut off your feet!!!
I can't wait to see the whole kitchen.... when I win, will you autograph the magazine? How about a cuddles footprint? Dip her foot on an ink pad and stamp a page.
SusanR
I make killer vegetarian mushroom gravy. It's great on egg noodles. Maybe throw in some peas, carrots and tuna. Yum!
Karen, you look like a real grown-up in the photo; a glamorous, sophisticated babe! Very nice. And Cuddles in your arms is the frosting on the sophistication cake! Genius!
The counters and lamp are making me jealous! Sigh.
chris
I'd like that recipe!
Twyla Powell Harkey
I love CHOCOLATE gravy on homemade biscuits!!!
You and Cuddles look totally amazing in you brand spanking new kitchen!!!!
I just love it!!!!!
Joanne
Chocolate gravy?
sounds interesting - please do share.
Judy Santiago
First of all I LOVE GRAVY!!!
Many years ago when my girls were teenagers they decided they wanted to make gravy so they asked me how to make it. After explaining to them about making a rue and then adding liquid, etc. they convinced me that they could do it and to go off and leave them alone. Then when they realized that there wasn't enough flour in the house they went next door and borrowed some cornstarch and added that to the mix, leaving the wooden spoon in the pot and stirring it now and then. They then proceeded to cook the rest of their meal and when everything was ready and they reached for the spoon to put some gravy on their meat the spoon was stuck and the whole pot of gravy, with the spoon stuck in the middle, came out of the pot like a popsickle on a stick. Obviously way to much cornstarch was added and their laughter shook the house - we still joke about their gravy to this day. p.s. - I live in the San Francisco bay area, love your blog and can't wait to read it every day. Thanks...
Lily
Oh yes. Gravy.
And the magazine. And the kitchen.
But the gravy.
Ramona
And Cuddles.
Grammy
Of course I love gravy. I have a sister-in-law who loves it, too, but cannot learn how to make it. At least she claims not to be able to.
So, when she has Thanksgiving at her house she does most things perfectly and presents them in a beautiful way, but she just stands there a few minutes before dinner is served and looks at the turkey roasting pan and says some profoundly stupid thing so that I and another sister-in-law leap into action, grabbing spoons and looking for the flour and double-teaming that roaster and it's drippings until there is a collective cheer that "Gravy's ready!" gets everyone seated and smiling and slopping gravy on everything on their plate. I think a couple of people just spoon gravy on the plate and pretend there's other food under it.
This is a long-standing family tradition. At least I know someone will miss me when I'm gone.
Dawn
I adore gravy, especially my mother-in-law's HAM GRAVY! I had never conceived of such a thing. In fact, that gravy may have played a part in marrying the guy. If you have never tried it, you should. It is a perception altering experience.
Olivia
Yes, I like gravy ! It's essential for a great turkey dinner .
Deb
I would love a copy! My mother was raised in a household where cooks did the cooking, so she never got hold of the skills herself. So my first encounter with gravy was in a school cafeteria. Which is why I never can eat it now, despite the tearful pleading of my family. The rumor is that my husband's is the best gravy in the south, but I will never know....